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March 5, 1929. w B 1,704,157

AUTOMOBILE 'SCREEN Filed March 10, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet .1

7/1/65556 gwventoz 07/5 44. WEBBEI? at! mag March 5, 1929. o. M. WEBBER AUTOMOBILE SCREEN Filed March 10. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented l t/lair. 5, i929.

WMAS? NT ori ice.

OTIS M. WEBIBER, OF WINONA, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMOBILE SCREEN.

Application filed. March 10, 1927. Serial- No. 174,380.

This invention relates to improvements screens for automobiles of the closed type and has as one of its objects to provide a screen which will effectually exclude insects, falling leaves and twigs, gravel, fragmentsof rock,

and'the like, thus affording protection to the occupants of the automobile while the windows thereof are open.

Another object of the invention is to provide a screen for the purpose stated which will not many way interfere with the operation of the actuating means for the door latch or with the means provided for raising and lowering the window pane, whether it be mounted in the door or in the bodystructure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for mounting the screen so'that the screen may le readily installed When desired and equally as readily removed,

and this accomplished without the employment oftools of any character whatsoever. In the accompanying drawings: 1 i Fig. 1 is a side elevation of so much of an automobile of the closed type as is necessary to an understanding of the invention, screens embodyingthe invention being illustrated as mounted in the window opening. in the door and'in the body structure of the automobile;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

- Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of one of the screens embodying the invention, the view illustrating the inner side of the door in the window opening of which the screen is mounted and illustrating clearly the means provided for supporting the screen in place, the door in this figure beingof the type in which both the operating lever for the door latch and the lever for effecting-raising and lowering of the window pane are located below and clear.

of the window opening; 7

Fig. t is a fragmentary perspective view of one corner of the door and the'corresponding portion of the screen, the view likewise illustrating one of the devices. provided for holding the screen in place;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to'Fig. 3 illustrating a modification of the invention particularly adapted to doors of automobiles which doors d are of the type in which the actuating lever for thelatch is mounted directly in the window opening of the door; Fig. Gis a similar view on an enlarged scale illustrating the'manner in which a number of the screens may be adjusted so as to provide for access .to the said actuating lever for the door latch; p

- Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 7.7 .of Fig. 6 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the'line 88 of Fig. 5, the view being on an enlarged scale and illustrating the means place. I

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to a inclusive, the screen comp ises a frame which is indicated in general by the numeral 1 and which is preferably of the rectangular form shown in the drawing and the top and bottom and side members of the frame are preferably formed from sheet metal, the metal being folded upon itself as indicated by the numeral 2 so as to provide initially spaced flanges 3 which are however brought together by pressure orin any other suitable manner and at this time their lower edges are brought substantially into registration with each other. The strips of which the frame member is formed is crimped longitudinally and on a line substantially midway between the folds Z-andthe inner edgesof the said folds, the crimps in all of the sections being in registration as indicated bythe numeral 5. The screen sheet which is indicated by the numeral 6 and which provided for holding the screen in is of-wire mesh and preferably of a metal which will not be affected by moisture, is disposed and' clamped at its margins between the folded portions of thestrips comprising the members of the frame, the sheet being gripped at-the' line of extent of the crimps 5 and the said margins being in this manner securely anchored in place. By reference to Figure 2 of the drawings it Willbe observed that in forming the longitudinal crimp '5 in the members of the frame, longitudinal beads are provided upon the outer sides of the frame members which are designed to rest squarely against the inner surface of the door or of the body of the automobile aboutthe window openings therein. a I

The window opening in the door, isindicated by the numeral 7 and the 'door is indicated by the numeral 8, the numeral 9 indicating a crank arm which is adapted to be manually operated to effect raising and lowering of the' window pane indicated by the numeral '10, and the numeral 11 indicating the actuating lever for the latch for the door.

It will be observed that in this embodiment the door 8 or the body' of the automobile, as

the case may be, the shank of the bolt being extended somewhat beyond the inner surface of the said door and being provided at its inner endwith a head indicated by the numeral 12. A retaining member 13' comprises a preferably frusto-conical head which is formed axially with an opening 15 fitting the stem 11, the said head engaging at its base against the inner surface of the door 8 and being retained in this position, normally, by ahelical spring 16 which is arranged upon the stem and within an enlargement of the opening15 asclearly shown in the said Figure 8, one end of the spring bearing against the shoulder formed at the juncture of the opening and its enlargement and the other end of the spring bearing against the head 12. A retaining finger 17 extends radially from one side of the head 14 and is provided at its outer end with a finger piece 18 through the medium of which the retaining member may be bodily shifted outwardly a short distance against the tension of the spring 16 and then rotatably adjusted about the pin or bolt 11. This end of the finger 17 is likewise formed with a locking stud 19 adapted to seat in an opening or a depression 20 formed in the outer fold of the respective frame member 1. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings that one of the retaining devices is preferably arranged at the upper side and one at the lower side of the screen and that a pair of such devices is arranged at each side of the screen and it will be evident that when the devices are engaged with the frame members of the screen in the manner shown in Figures 3 and 8 of the drawings and also in Figure 2, the screen will be securely held in place. When it is desired to dismount the screen as for example in the winter time, this may be readily accom plished by merely pulling out upon the finger pieces .18 to correspondingly displace the retaining members and then swinging the retaining members clear of the frame members of the screen whereupon the screen will be released. Normally however the retaining members, being held in place by the respective springs 16, securely hold the frame members of the screen in snug engagement with the side of the door or the side of the body of the automobile as the case may be.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings, the screen frame, which isindicated by the numeral 21, is of identically the same construction as in the previously described form and it is retained in place by retaining devices 22 identical with the devices 13. This particular embodiment however is designed for use upon automobiles in which the door latches are located within the window openings of the doors so that it is necessary to provide the screen with a displaceable section to provide for access to the operating lever for the latch. "Vith this end in view a guide strip 23 of sheet metal is riveted or otherwise secured as in 24 at its ber of the frame. At the upper side of the opening 25 and extending inwardly from the vertical side member of the frame which bounds one side of the openin 25, is a guide comprising a metal strip 28 self as at 29 to provide fold portions which confine the marginal portion of the screen sheet 30 which portion is located at the upper side of the opening 25'. The inner ply of thestrip '28 is provided with an overturned extension 31 which extends outwardly and then downwardlyfrom the upper edgeof the said ply and which has its mar inal portion preferably overturned outward y upon itself as indicated by the numeral 32, the upper edge of the strip 23 being likewise formed as indicated by the numeral 33. Thus two channels are provided one at the upper and the other at the lower side of the opening '25 and the purpose of these channels is to accommodate and guide the upper and lower members of the frame 34 of a movable or displaceable screen section indicated by the numeral 35. This section comprises, in addition to the frame 34, a screen sheet 36 which'is stretched within the frame and the frame is preferably.

fblded upon itof the simple and customary construction shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings It will now be evident and particularly by reference to Figures 5 and 6 that in the closed position of the displaceable screen section 35 one end of the frame structure thereof will abut against the vertical side member of the frame of the main screen and when the section is open :as shown in Fi 6, the opening 25 will be imcovered. A %n ger knob 37 is preferably pro- I vided upon one end member of the frame-34 of the displaceable screen section so that the section may be conveniently slid into and out of closed position, in the latter position uncovering the said opening 25 and permitting of access to the latch operating lever 26. Inasmuch as the section 35 will be displaced only momentarily at the time the latch lever 'is operated to open the door, this momentary uncovering of the opening 25 is of no consequence.

It is to be understood, of course, that various changes may be made, within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having Iclai n is: I

1. In a screen for automobiles, a screen frame the members of which are of-sheet thus described the invention what 7 metal and of two-ply formation, a screen sheet confined at its margins between the plies of the said members, the said screen sheet at a one corner thereof being cut away, a frame screen sheet and having an offset portion spaced from the lower member of the frame to constitute a guide, and a door for closing said opening comprising a frame slidably engaged at its upper and lower members in the said guides, and a screen sheet within said frame.

2. Means for retaining a screen frame in position in the opening in which it is mounted comprising a threaded stem having a head at one end, a member rotatably mounted upon the stem and having a recess therein concentric to the stem, a spring upon the stem bearing at one end at the inner end of said recess and at its other end against the head upon the stemand yieldably resisting the outward sliding movement of the said retaining member upon the stem, a finger extending radially from the said retaining member at the outer end thereof for engagement with a screen frame member, and a finger piece upon the free end of said finger and constituting 7 means whereby the finger may be rotated about the stem and likewise retracted from engagement with the frame member which it is to retain.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

OTIS M. l/VEBBER. 

